What is Channel Slam? The rare feat Carlos Alcaraz is bidding for at Wimbledon 2024

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships will see Carlos Alcaraz square off against Novak Djokovic in a marquee clash in the men's singles final. The Spaniard will be gunning for a fourth Major title whereas the Serb will be looking for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz entered this year's Wimbledon after winning his third Grand Slam at the French Open. As a defending champion at SW19, Alcaraz has put together a great campaign, overcoming Mark Lajal, Aleksander Vukic, Frances Tiafoe, Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul, and Daniil Medvedev to reach his fourth Grand Slam final.

Alcaraz has perhaps not looked at his fluent best during this year's campaign, dropping 5 sets en route to the final, but the Spaniard has the ability and talent to put on a stellar display against Djokovic, with whom he is building a steady rivalry.

The Serb leads their head-to-head but the Spaniard is yet to lose a Grand Slam final, having won all three that he has played in his short career.

---

What is a Channel Slam and why is it tough to achieve?

Carlos Alcaraz has the opportunity to achieve the feat of completing the Channel Slam this year. Winning the Channel Slam in tennis means bagging the French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year. As Paris and London (where the two Majors are held) are situated across the English Channel, the name Channel Slam came to be.

Very few players have achieved this feat, as winning at Roland Garros and the All England Club in the same year is one of the toughest challenges in the sport. The technicalities of playing on clay and grass are vastly different and players do not get much time to get acclimated to the changing surfaces, making winning the Channel Slam tougher.

Only five men have won the Channel Slam since the Open Era began in 1968, highlighting the difficulty of the achievement. These are Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic himself. Of them, Borg and Nadal have won the channel slam more than once in the Open Era.

---

Carlos Alcaraz is keen on joining the coveted list of Channel Slam winners

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2024 French Open (Image Source: Getty)

Alcaraz will be looking to become a part of tennis history by becoming only the sixth men's player to achieve the Channel Slam. If he does so, the Spaniard would become the youngest player to achieve the feat at 21 years of age. He would surpass the record of the legendary Bjorn Borg who won the Channel Slam in 1978 at 22 years of age.

Alcaraz acknowledged that he was aware of the opportunity to make history in men's tennis. He shared that he was very keen on being a part of the coveted club of Channel Slam winners.

"Obviously, I want to put my name on that short list to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. I know that there is going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I am ready to do it," said Carlos Alcaraz before Wimbledon started.

Given that Djokovic might not be at 100% physically, and that Carlos Alcaraz has already played and won Slam finals at such a young age; the Spaniard has a good chance of making the ambition of winning a channel slam a reality.